NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) describes itself as “a center for the recently possible.” Put another way, it’s where artsy people go to build some cool stuff with tech. So we went to the program’s spring exhibition, to see what madness they dreamed up.

It seems logical that if you're designing a flying robot, you might borrow a few ideas from Mother Nature's airborne repertoire. But researchers at NYU instead too their inspiration from under the sea for this unusual robotic craft that flies through the air the same way a jellyfish moves through the ocean.

NYU recently sent out a seemingly innocuous e-mail to all of its students asking them to opt for paperless forms. People in college get those kinds of e-mails all the time! But when one student decided to ask his mom if he should enable the paperless forms, he accidentally triggered a method that allowed him (and…

Nobody's sure why the glass vial of Clostridium perfringens spores was buried in a cornerstone of Bellevue Hospital Medical College in 1897, but its discovery could help scientists understand how much this common microbe has evolved in the era of antibiotics.

The post-apocalypse recession is bound to be a doozy. If you don't have the stomach for looting (why aren't you in heaven, pussy?), or don't have a gold stockpile, you'll probably have to barter for basic survival needs.

Kickstarter's great! People with neat ideas can show off their concept, win over online backers, and move their brain gems into the real world. Or, they can plagiarize someone else's cool idea and earn money (and an award). Uhhh.

Any half-competent bartender can pour a decent layered shot. Unfortunately, there's a lot of not-so-competent bartenders out there. Enter Pousse Cafe, a voice-controlled shot dispenser from three ITP students that perfectly layers every shot, every time. [ITP]

Simple, but great: Each drawer in Nick Yulman's song cabinet plays music, with the rhythm changing as you pull the drawer out further. By mixing up various drawers and rhythms, you can create a bajillion permutations of music. [ITP]

Don't want to punch in a long password every time you unlock your phone, but wanna make sure nobody can get inside if you lose it at a...coffee shop? Michael Knuepel's digital signet rings unlock iPhones like a key. [ITP]

You might remember Diaspora, that plucky Facebook rival, conceived by four NYU students, that actual prioritizes your privacy. As promised, they've released the project code, along with a tantalizing preview of how the site's going to look: familiar, but not.

If you've never been to one of the twice-a-year shows held at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program, you're missing the weirdest, coolest, most insanely inspired geek projects around. We'll be highlighting the best stuff, but you can check it out yourself: